Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

Spring football back in Pasco County

PASCO COUNTY — Pasco County high schools will be allowed to have spring football games again starting this year according to Pasco athletic director Phil Bell.

The ban on spring games started 19 years ago, but this season all 12 public schools will be able to play games with other Pasco schools.

Part of the decision was made to bring more college scouts to the county during the spring, which is a time known for recruiting.

Details about the format of the games are not clear yet, but two are likely. The first is to play traditional games at different locations, while the other is to play them all at one location on the same day, known as a jamboree.

Alex Rogers commits to North Carolina-Charlotte

LAND O’ LAKES — Sunlake High School junior softball player Alex Rogers School verbally committed to play at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

Rogers was one of two Florida players selected to participate in the Elite Future Nationals On Deck Softball Showcase in California last October. Only 70 athletes were invited.

Rogers has been a team-captain for the Seahawks for two years while playing center field. This year, she will move to shortstop to fill her team’s needs, according to Sunlake softball coach John Dawkins.

Jordan Davis headed to Monmouth

CITRUS PARK — Sickles High School boys basketball player Jordan Davis has committed to play ant Monmouth University in Illinois.

The senior has been rated as a top-five point guards in Florida and top-100 in the nation.

Davis led Hillsborough County with 7.4 assists per game as a junior, and is averaging 7.5 through 24 games this year.

By Capt. Ric Liles

Fishing Columnist

Despite being completely uncomfortable, fishing has been fairly good. Unfortunately, most of the fish we have been catching have been on the wrong side of the slot limit. I did experience a couple of horrific days out this past week, but when the weather was cooperative we did respectable. They certainly were not the greatest trips I’ve ever produced, but not bad.

I had a nice opportunity to get away last week when I took out Brad Wiegmann, an outdoor journalist from Arkansas. The only day he could go was the day the weather mother nature was angry. We had winds out of the northwest at 15 to 20 knots. That’s the worst direction for the wind to come from while trying to fish the South Shore area. We were only able to catch three fish that day and I don’t know if I have ever been more anxious to get off the water. The fish were not going to eat regardless of what we put in front of them.

It happens and that’s why they call it fishing and not catching. There were a lot of fishing stories and jokes told that day and I now have a connection to go striper fishing. So the day was not a total bust. I think Brad is going to have to be really, really creative when he writes that piece.

You’re probably wondering why I’m telling you about one of the unsuccessful trips instead of one of the successful ones. Truth of the matter is, I had a reader ask me the other day about the snook kill and then went on to say that we charter captains only tell about the good days and that our stories make fishing appear to be easier than it really is.

Well Mr. John Doe, that was for you. Charter captains do have bad days just like everyone else. We just don’t have as many. We have to contend with the same weather conditions and obstacles the average angler does. The one thing I can assure you of is that a charter captain worth his salt will take you to where the fish are. It’s up to God to make them eat. I feel better now that I have gotten that off my chest.

Until next time, good luck and be safe on the water. Remember, don’t let your kid be the one that got away. Take them fishing.

By Derek Highley

Golf Columnist

Everybody loves to step up to the tee and bomb a drive that flies high and far or hit that perfect iron shot. You know the one that is struck so squarely right on the sweet spot that you don’t even feel it.

The truth is when it comes to capitalizing on those nice shots you need to be able to get the ball in the hole. Nothing can derail a round quicker or is more frustrating than routinely missing short putts.

I am a firm believer that speed control is the most important factor when it comes to good putting. Using the “putt to the coin” drill is a great way to get the feel for hitting your putts the correct speed and to free yourself up from being locked in on the line when attempting short putts.

To get started, find an old cup hole on the practice green. You want to use an old cup as opposed to an open one because you want your ball to roll over the old mark so you can see how far past the hole you roll your putts.

Place a coin 18 inches behind the old hole mark. Why 18 inches? That is how far a put hit with the perfect speed should stop. This speed allows putts that are a bit off line to “lip in,” while it is still firm enough to not be affected by imperfection in the green. Your goal with this drill is roll putts to the coin placed behind the cup.

Then place a tee on each side of the old cup about half a ball width from the lip. The tees represent how the increased size of the cup from puts that “lip in” because of the proper speed. This will give you more confidence over short putts because you now have a bigger target.

Your focus should be on getting the right speed. Let the line take care of it self. Putts coming up short of the coin where not hit hard enough, while putts going past the coin where too firm. You will quickly discover your tendency.

You are now all set to start working on making more of those knee-knocking three to six-foot puts.

All great putters have one thing in common, superior distance control. Using this drill to help you improve your distance control will not only help you make more short putts, but also will transfer over and help with long and lag putting.

By Sarah Whitman

Senior Staff Writer

LAND O’ LAKES — For the teaching team at Plantation Palms Golf Club, golf is life.

The group is led by the club general manager and Professional Golfers Association professional Dan Withers and includes teachers Jacob Halligan, Brent Fockle, Chris Cherok and Bill Thomas. The team is considered the best of the best by many.

Between them, they have spent thousands of hours on the green, competing on both the college and professional level.

“They have a wealth of knowledge beyond most amateur golfer’s imaginations,” student Kyle Williams said. “Jacob Halligan is the best golfer I’ve ever seen play on this course. He is a great teacher.”

Halligan, who heads up the teaching department, began golfing at age 2. He played consistently while growing up in Kentucky and received a golf scholarship to St. Leo University in 2003. After graduating, he began playing professionally. He then came to work at Plantation, training as an apprentice under Withers.

As an apprentice, he is learning the business side of golf, but he still aspires to conquer the sport itself. In fall 2009, he played in the PGA Qualifying School, a four-month tournament whose winners play on the PGA tour. He made it through the first round in Beaumont, Calif. and plans to play again in 2010.

“Golf is the hardest game there is because it’s just you against the course,” Halligan said. “If you mess up, you only have yourself to blame.”

Halligan teaches his students to pay attention and think before they make a move on the course. He said he likes teaching for many reasons. He likes teaching kids because they are excited to learn, and he likes teaching adults because he can help take their game to the next level.

“I like to see someone improve,” Halligan said. “It’s pretty rewarding.”

Halligan said students can expect top-quality instruction at Plantation, whether they take lessons with him or with one his co-workers.

“All the teachers here have a lot to offer,” he said. “Brent Fockle played for the University of New Mexico and really knows the game. Chris Cherok has taught for years and was general manager of Edwin Watts Golf Shop.”

Cherok also has a passion for teaching.

“I’ve been teaching for seven years,” he said. “I just love the game.”

Cherok teaches students what he considers the key elements to a good golf game.

“The main three points a golfer needs to focus on are grip, posture and alignment,” he said. “Without those, you won’t be where you need to be.”

Halligan said a good golfer never stops practicing.

“If you play and then you stop playing for a while, you’ll totally lose your game,” he said. “If you treat it like a hobby, you’ll only ever be mediocre.”

Mark Clare has learned a bit about golf from Halligan.

“Yeah, he’s taught me some things about golf,” Clare said while enjoying lunch at Plantation’s club café. “He really is one of the best golfers to ever play here. I see him working with the younger kids and they really look up to him. I’ve also seen him helping out a pro or two.”

Withers is proud of his teaching staff and their reputation in the community.

“We really do have one of the finest instruction teams in Tampa Bay,” he said.

Golf lessons are open to ages 4 and up. Halligan has taught little ones and recently, he taught basics to an 88-year-old man. Golf can be played at any age, he said.

“I never really had any lessons growing up,” he said. “I watched a lot of golf on TV and I practiced a lot. I kind of found my own way. I think that’s what makes me a good teacher. I don’t do drills and make it about rules. I make it about helping a person find their game.”

No ‘bench warming’ positions available

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

PASCO COUNTY — While high school sports are mainly about who wins and loses, i9 Sports is more about having fun and learning about sportsmanship.

“I really like the focus being on the kids learning to work together to get better,” said Jimmy Surin, onsite coordinator of i9 Sports in Pasco County. “It is also very family friendly to participate in the league because all the games are on the weekend or at night during the week, so it is easy for parents to take their kids to the games.”

Another main element of the league is the amount of playing time for each kid.

“We don’t have any benchwarmers here in i9 Sports,” said Jimmy Barbarise, league director in Pasco. “Everyone gets to play no matter what. There are no tryouts or drafts. We don’t have ringers out there while the average kid sits and watches. You can’t get better while sitting on the bench, so we make sure everyone plays.”

Barbarise received a degree in physical education from Western Governs University.

“I just love making a difference in kids’ lives,” Barbarise said. “I think i9 does that as well as any organization.”

Everyone playing is one of the core principles of i9 Sports, but experienced coaches do not need much encouragement to make it happen.

“There is a rule that each kid has to be in a game for at least one play 10 times ,” said Angel Santiago, flag football coach for more than three years. “You get a chart to write down who has played and the newer coaches usually have to use it to make sure, but I don’t even have to think about it any more. I split my team into two groups that go in every other drive, so my system makes sure all the kids play.”

Santiago’s three kids — Justin, Joshua and Nick— all play flag football and the family currently lives in Wesley Chapel.

The league is a national organization in all 50 states with more than 100,000 children participating according to the national organization. The name comes from the nine principles the league was founded — all of which start with the letter I.

“Those principles best symbolize the core values of the league,” Barbarise said. “It’s all about sportsmanship and having a good time.”

Barbarise’s kids — Christina, Marisa and Jimmy — all play flag football in the league.

“It’s all about flag football in my family,” Barbarise said. “They all play different positions, so the don’t have to split playing time with each other. Christina (14) is a quarterback, Marisa (13) is a center and my son Jimmy (12) is a linebacker.”

Surin’s son, Alex, plays flag football and basketball, while his daughter, Alexis, plays soccer in i9 Sports.

“It is great because I get to coach Alex (8) in basketball and Alexis (5) in soccer,” Surin said. “I grew up in New York City in Manhattan, so there weren’t a lot of youth leagues for me to play in. Here there are great fields for the kids.”

The national organization, which started in 2003, has flag football, soccer, basketball and cheerleading teams in Pasco. There are three seasons a year, each seven weeks long, for everything but cheerleading, which has just one season in the fall.

There are two divisions, Central Pasco and West Pasco, in i9 Sports. There are several teams with kids from both Pasco and Hillsborough County Lutz and Odessa, Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel, and teams from Zephyrhills and Dade City are also available most seasons.

The youth organization also as a Hillsborough and Pinellas County league. For more information on i9 Sports of Hillsborough and Pinellas, call Alex Miranda or Jason Arnold at (813) 805-8742.

The noncompetitive league has four age-groups: one for kids 4 to 6-years-old, one for 7 to 9, one for 9 to 11 and one for 12 to 15.

“Sometimes the senior division gets a little more competitive and we need to remind them that we are all here to have fun,” Barbarise said.

Pasco i9 currently has registration for its next season. For more information on the Pasco County league, call Barbarise at (813) 532-1507, or visit www.i9sports.com.

i9 Sports league registration deadlines for Pasco County

• Soccer Feb. 15
• Basketball March 15
• Flag football March 31
• i9 Sports nine principles
• Imaginative
• Innovative
• Interactive
• Integrity-driven
• Impassioned
• Inspirational
• Instructional
• Insightful
• Inclusive

LAND O’ LAKES — Three Land O’ Lakes High School student-athletes signed their letters of intent to play collegiate athletics.

Frank Villar, a co-captain and midfielder on the soccer team, signed with Florida Atlantic University.

Villar helped the Gators finish the regular season with a 17-3-2 record and undefeated at home. Land O’ Lakes reached the playoffs, where it defeated Wesley Chapel High School 3-0 Feb. 4 in the Class 4A regional quarterfinals. The Gators then played Mitchell High School Feb. 9, but results were not available at press time.

Tyler Peak and Patrick Kronk, who each play football, are going to Jacksonville University and American International respectively.

Kronk is a 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive guard. Peak, who plays running back and was a co-captain, gained 928 yards on 132 carries and eight rushing touchdowns in 2009. He also caught seven passes for 123 yards and one score.

The Gators football team reached the playoffs for a Pasco County record 13th straight time last year, but was eliminated by Jefferson High School in the first round.

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

WESLEY CHAPEL — The search to fill the Wesley Chapel High School football coaching position is starting to take shape.

The second round of interviews has been completed and a new coach should be in place by the end of the week.

“Hopefully we can have a coach in place before the middle of February,” said Matt McDermott, Wesley Chapel assistant principal. “We are down to just a few candidates now and all are very qualified applicants.”

McDermott is one of a three-person selection committee, which includes Wildcats principal Karen Nettles and athletic director Steve Mumaw. McDermott is in his first year with the school, and was previously the Sunlake High School athletic director.

“We are looking for someone to continue the tradition here and provide a program the community can be proud of,” McDermott continued. “It seems like athletic programs go as the football team goes, so we want to make sure we have the right person…We also want someone that will put academics first and will turn out good young men.”

The opening at Wesley Chapel was a result of former coach John Castelamare not receiving an extension after last season, which was his last of the five-year Deferred Retirement Option Program.

“That is something we can’t control because only the county can offer a coach an extension,” Mumaw said. “We can’t even give our opinion to the county. Losing coach Cas was very hard for me because I was a (junior varsity) coach during his first year at the school. It was very difficult for me to tell him he was not offered an extension.”

Castelamare started the Wildcats football program in 1999. During his 11 seasons at Wesley Chapel, he had two undefeated regular seasons and three district championships. He also coached at Ridgewood High School for 12 years.

“You want to keep on going, but they won’t let you,” Castelamare said following his final season. “I knew it was going to be the fifth year, but I was hoping the economy would get better. I’m not bitter. I just wish they would let us continue.”

Mumaw said Castelamare was part of the initial coaching search. While he did not interview any candidates, the former coach helped the selection committee come up with interview questions.

“We also just picked his brain about coaching,” Mumaw said.

Castelamare has expressed interest in continuing to coach at a private high school.

McDermott said the job is for the coaching position only because there are no openings for a teacher. Wesley Chapel recently released a list of the final five candidates, which include Ben Alford, Michael Einspahr, Matthew Thompson, Brian Colding and Troy Hochstetler.

Two of the finalists, Colding and Hochstetler, were also among the final 15 candidates for the Zephyrhills High School coaching position, which went to Reginald Roberts.

Colding is the Wildcats track and field coach, physical education teacher and was an assistant on the football team last year. Hochstetler was Zephyrhills co-coach in 2009 with Greg Mathis after the dismissal of Jerrell Cogmon amid alleged recruiting violations.

“I’m going to send a letter of recommendation for Troy for the coaching position at Wesley Chapel because he is a class act,” said Zephyrhills principal Steve Van Gorden. “It was a tough situation after releasing Jerrell Cogmon, but Troy helped keep the team together.

“If he gets the position I’ll have to support the Bulldogs when they play the Wildcats, but I want to see Troy succeed,” Van Gorden continued about Hochstetler.

Whoever gets the job has no easy task in replacing Castelamare.

“Whoever it is will have some big shoes to fill with those perfect 10-0 seasons from coach Cas,” McDermott said. “So we are looking for someone who can handle that pressure.”

While it may have been difficult to lose the only football coach in school history, the opening is a chance to start something new.

“We knew we would eventually have to replace coach Cas,” Mumaw said. “It might have been a little sooner than we would have liked, but now we can build toward the future of Wesley Chapel football.”